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Not just for touring bikes anymore...

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Not just for touring bikes anymore...

Old 08-19-19, 08:58 PM
  #51  
DropBarFan
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Originally Posted by staehpj1
I have had them on a couple bikes and really didn't care for them. There were several reasons not all of which apply to every size frame. These are all based on my experience for my bikes, my fit choices, and so on, so YMMV. Some of these are touring oriented and some more racing/performance oriented.
  1. I tended to bump them out of the desired gear accidentally while riding, usually while standing to climb.
  2. They tended to get bumped out of gear when leaned against a wall or whatever when I took a break to get a drink or snack or shop or whatever. Then when I started out it wouldn't be in gear.
  3. Once in a while I banged up a knee or thigh on them.
  4. I actually found them less handy to reach than down tube shifters which were the other popular choice at the time. People often complained that they had to reach further down to reach down tube shifters, but on my bikes they were at the exact same height given my frame size and preferred bar height. If I wanted to shift the front and back i could even do both with only one hand going to the shifters.
  5. I had a few buddies who were jerks and liked to reach over and shift them for me
I haven't had bar-ends shift inadvertently while riding but while cornering at low speeds I do have to take care of not bumping into them. A couple days ago I reached down to where down-tube shifters would be & it's not far. I think hands-on-brake lever hoods is the most common position so with both down-tube or bar-end shifters there's still the need to change hand position. I always liked the simplicity of DT shifters. 4 cables sprouting from handlebar doesn't look as nice, more hassle to re-tape bars, with my S&S bike I needed to take special notes in order to keep all the cables positioned correctly.
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Old 08-25-19, 10:01 PM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by WGD
I am admittedly a bit of a Luddite (and certainly not a racer) but I have friction barcons on two of my bikes. My other main ride has DT friction shifters.
Using 5x3 gearing the spacing is sufficient that a 1" movement of the lever means a one gear shift. Well, maybe not an inch but some other movement that will result in one gear change and is so automatic it might as well be indexed. That being said, I've converted all my stuff to indexed 7x3. It's easier, especially when tired and can save your knees by giving you more choices. Friction shifting a seven is more difficult and makes trimming more often nesssesary.
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Old 08-26-19, 07:37 AM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by Cycle Tourist
Using 5x3 gearing the spacing is sufficient that a 1" movement of the lever means a one gear shift. Well, maybe not an inch but some other movement that will result in one gear change and is so automatic it might as well be indexed. That being said, I've converted all my stuff to indexed 7x3. It's easier, especially when tired and can save your knees by giving you more choices. Friction shifting a seven is more difficult and makes trimming more often nesssesary.
My first indexed shifting bike that was truly flawless was a 7x2 105 indexed down tube shifter equipped road bike (1990 Cannondale Crit bike). I loved that bike then and still do today. I have more modern bikes and ride them, but there is still a special place in my heart for that bike. It may be the only bike that I have developed an irrational attachment to beyond what makes any sense for an inanimate object. I rode it for my (U/L camping and cooking) Southern Tier (San Diego to Pensacola) and plan to ride it again from to ride the rest from Pensacola to St Augustine in the late winter or very early spring despite having what are probably more suitable bikes by most standards. That bike just makes me happy for some reason. The shifting is so nice and crisp and the bike is so full of great memories of younger and fitter times of my life.
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